Katharine & Sushrut came to Thicket Priory in the July of 2025 to celebrate their wedding over 4 days, arriving on a Monday, departing on a Thursday, and boy did they host the most amazing celebrations for their friends and family. We asked them a few deep dive questions about their wedding, and here’s what they had to say…
Choosing Thicket Priory as your venue…
“Even though we’re based in Costa Rica, our very first viewing of Thicket Priory was over a video call, and we fell in love instantly, especially when Anna described it as “your home for the week, and you’re inviting your family and friends to celebrate.” That really stuck with us.
The venue has a magical, timeless charm, but still feels so warm and welcoming. With 35 stunning bedrooms and a wedding coordinator included, we felt so incredibly lucky to have Anna as ours. We kept imagining our friends and family arriving from all over the world, staying under one roof, laughing, eating, and celebrating together. We knew straight away it was the perfect place for our three days of celebrations, and having everyone there with us made the whole week feel like our very own private home.”
Check out the Nepalese wedding celebrations…
Let’s talk fashion…
“Fashion was really meaningful for me. For day one (the Hindu wedding), my mother-in-law had my bridal saree and evening lehenga handmade in Nepal, which felt so personal and beautiful to wear while honouring their culture. For day two, I wore my mum’s cheongsam from her own wedding in the morning for our Chinese Tea Ceremony, which was such an emotional way to celebrate her and my Chinese heritage. Later, I changed into a bridal gown I found at a sample sale in London. I had only arrived in the UK about two months before the wedding, and finding a dress in the middle of the jungle is not easy!
It felt like the perfect mix of heritage, family, and a little bit of luck. Sush looked incredible too, in traditional Nepali attire for the Hindu ceremony and a classic sage green suit for the English wedding (but who cares about that…!)”
A rather special thank you must go out to Sush’s mum who ensured that I not only had a saree to wear during the Nepalese wedding celebrations, but she took the time to dress me; this was an honour and one I thoroughly enjoyed! The skill involved in putting on a saree is truly incredible!
…and styling…
“We wanted the décor to let the natural beauty of Thicket Priory shine, rather than compete with it. For the Nepali wedding, we hired an Asian wedding decorator, and I asked them to work with my sunset-inspired colour palette. My bridesmaids’ sarees were made in shades of orange and yellow, which perfectly complemented my red and orange bridal outfits and brought the whole vision to life.
The space felt vibrant, joyful, and full of energy, exactly what we wanted for the celebration.
For the English wedding, I took a different approach and worked only with my florist, styling the rest myself. I drew inspiration from the jungle at golden hour, using bright yellows, lush greens and soft blues to create a warm, magical atmosphere that felt intimate and alive! To add personal touches, I (and my Maid-of-Honour) folded origami cranes by hand! Miniature ones were hung along the floral arrangements that flowed down the centre of the long tables, and larger ones were placed at each guest’s table setting. Seeing them scattered throughout the space made it feel even more like our own little world and brought the whole weekend together in such a personal way.”
Who was your florist and what did you choose?
“Our florist, Mandy from Wedding Blossoms York, was amazing. For the Nepali wedding, she just did the staircase florals, but she tied them into my theme so perfectly that it flowed straight into the next day.
For the English wedding, she did all the florals and honestly brought my vision of the jungle at golden hour to life with all the lush greens, bright yellows and soft blues. We kept it simple but still elegant, and it felt so natural, like it was meant to be there. If I’d had the budget, I would have loved to go bigger with the flowers, but what we had honestly felt just right for us.”
Food, Glorious Food…
“Food was such a big part of our wedding. We wanted it to feel generous, full of joy, and to really reflect both of our cultures. Each day had its own menu, which made the whole weekend feel even more special.
At first, I thought I’d just order our cake from M&S, but then the hack happened, and that idea went straight out the window!
With only a week to go, I stumbled across this little family-run bakery in Halifax and decided to take a chance. I asked if they could make our cake, and to my absolute relief, they said yes right away. By the time we were heading to Thicket Priory, it was ready for us. It turned out so beautifully, simple, elegant and honestly just delicious. It really felt like a last-minute miracle.
For catering, we went with Nomad Catering, and wow, James absolutely smashed it. He went above and beyond to create the most insane menus. At our mehndi party, we had a proper South-East Asian banquet. For the Nepali wedding, we had traditional Nepali dishes, and for the English wedding, we had this gorgeous Asian and English fusion. It was everything we wanted and more. I loved that we got to share both of our cultures through the food, and our guests are still raving about it now.”
Check out the Chinese & English wedding celebrations….
Tell us a bit about the Photographer.
“Jules was incredible. We didn’t want to be stuck posing for photos all day. We just wanted to enjoy our wedding and make the most of it, and he totally got that. He captured both of our wedding days so perfectly, from the big moments to all the little in-between ones that we’ll treasure forever. He blended in so well that it honestly felt like having another friend there with us. I’m so grateful for these photos because every time we look at them, all the emotions of the day come flooding back.”
What was the best part of the day?
“That’s such a tricky question because our celebrations went on over three days with a farewell breakfast on the fourth. There were so many incredible moments, but honestly, seeing our family and friends from all over the world come together to celebrate us was just beautifully overwhelming. I cried so many happy tears and laughed even more. If I had to pick one moment, it would be standing together in the chapel, saying our vows with everyone around us. It was emotional, grounding and completely unforgettable. For Sush, his favourite moment was seeing me in my white wedding dress as I walked into the chapel. He still says he will never forget it. I loved catching everyone’s reactions too, from the smiles to the tears; it made the whole week feel so full of love and joy.”
Do you have any words of wisdom?
“Don’t stress about everything being perfect. (Sush says this is hilarious for me to say…)
The most special moments are usually the ones you can’t plan!
Make choices that feel true to you both and try to take a few minutes just for yourselves to breathe and take it all in. The day/days go by so quickly, and those little pauses are what make it all sink in.”
Kinds words from the couple…
“From my very first call with Anna, all the way from Costa Rica, I just knew Thicket Priory was the one. Even before I saw it in person, which wasn’t until two months before the wedding, Anna made me feel incredibly welcome and provided me with everything I needed to feel confident and excited. The way she described the venue, like it was your own home and you were inviting your loved ones in to celebrate, really stuck with me, and that is exactly how it felt.
One of the best things about Thicket is that the venue comes with a wedding coordinator, and I was lucky enough to have Anna. From the very beginning, she felt less like a coordinator and more like a friend, guiding me through every step, answering all my questions, and making sure I felt completely taken care of. During our stay, she went above and beyond to make sure everything ran smoothly, and it honestly could not have gone better.
The venue itself is truly magical. The lake, the grounds, the bedrooms, the décor, everything was beyond stunning. There were so many details that meant our guests were never trying to find something to do — secret doors, hidden corners, and little magical touches everywhere. Having 35 bedrooms on site made it extra special because all our family and the wedding party could stay together without worrying about transport. We also loved being able to use different ceremony spaces, each one gorgeous in its own way.
Our wedding was pure magic from start to finish. I could go on for days, but I am honestly lost for words at how incredible this venue is and how it made my dream wedding come to life. Thank you so much to the whole team and especially Anna, who is absolutely incredible. Maybe I am biased, but I truly believe this is the best wedding venue out there!”
The joy and energy that Kat, Sush, their friends and family brought to Thicket Priory was next level. They made every effort to ensure that the team here were just as much a part of their celebrations as their guests and for this we are eternally grateful. We even got to join in the Mehndi on the first night, getting our very own henna tattoos!
I hope you can feel every bit of love and care brought to the celebrations by this gorgeous couple just by looking through the photos and watching their video, because it really was very special.
Love Anna xXx
Supplier Shout Outs:
Photographer/Videographer: Your Story Studios
Catering: Nomad Catering by James Brown
Florist: Wedding Blossoms York
Asian Wedding Decorator: Chahal Events Group
Live Musicians: The York String Quartet
DJ: Aamir Rana
Hair and Makeup: The Style Lounge
White Wedding Dress: Angelica Bridal
Cake: Bébé Rose Boulangerie
